2017 State Legislative Session

With the adjournment of the 2017 session of the Colorado General Assembly, the Colorado Climate Network has completed its final report for its members on legislation of interest to them on emission reductions and climate preparedness.

Local Resilience Project

The Colorado Climate Network continues to work for implementation of the recommendations in the 2015 report of the Colorado Local Resilience Project, convened by the Colorado Climate Network and theColorado Municipal League, which outlines actions to be taken by the state and by local governments to improve the resilience of Colorado communities to climate-change-related risks. In April 2017, a delegation from CCN members and other local governments met with the executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and three other state officials to urge action on the report's recommendations on assessing and addressing impacts to natural resources and outdoor recreation. That followed a similar meeting in December 2016 with the director of environmental programs and other officials at the Department of Public Health and Environment to urge action on recommendations on public health. The state officials are considering their actions and have promised responses soon to CCN.

The Local Resilience Project report was developed by 78 representatives from 30 local governments and six related local organization developed the report, with contains six conclusions and 36 recommendations, all representing a consensus of the project participants. See more information here.

One of the report recommendations is that the state government prepare a comprehensive state-government-wide preparedness plan, not only to guide state government actions but also to provide a conceputal and programmatic framework for consistent, coordinated actions by local governments to address local and sub-state regional risks. After the Local Resilience Project report was released, the Colorado state government unveiled a new Colorado Climate Action plan, addressing both emission reductions and preparedness actions, as explained further here.

Recent highlights

Fort Collins framework for emission reductions. As one example of action by a Network member on emission reductions, the City of Fort Collins City Council in March 2015 unanimously approved a framework of actions to meet ambitious goals to achieve community-wide reduction of heat-trapping emissions: 20% below 2005 levels by 2020, 80% below 2005 levels by 2030, and 100% below 2005 levels by 2050 (in other words, achieving community-wide carbon neutrality). By contrast, in the absence of local action, heat-trapping pollutants are projected to increase 16% by 2030 and 39% by 2050, above 2005 levels, according to the city's emissions inventory and forecast. The city is now working on implementation actions to meet these goals.

Colorado Climate Change Vulnerability Study. In February 2015, the Colorado Climate Change Vulnerability Study, the first-ever state-specific synthesis of existing information on how climate change may affect Colorado, was jointly released by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder and Colorado State University. The study was commissioned by the Colorado Energy Office in accordance with state legislation enacted in 2013, House Bill 13-1293, requiring executive branch annual reports to the Colorado General Assembly on the development and periodic update of a climate action plan and collaboration with other entities regarding climate change preparedness studies.

The study is a summary of existing available data and research results from the peer-reviewed literature. See more details here.

City and County of Denver Climate Adaptation Plan. As an example of climate preparedness actions by Network members, the City and County of Denver in June 2014 relesed an adaptation plan that is an exemplary effort to meet its “long-term vision to be one of the most innovative and resilient cities in the face of climate change.” The plan identifies three primary risks -- increased temperature and heat island effect, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and reduced snowpack and earlier snowmelt -- and plan lays out short-, mid-, and long-term actions focused on six sectors: buildings and energy, health and human services, land use and transportation, urban natural resources, water consumption, and food and agriculture.

The Network

Themissionof the Colorado Climate Network is to support efforts by local governments and allied organizations in Colorado to reduce heat-trapping gases and to adapt to climate change – whether those efforts are styled as climate, sustainability, energy, or adaptation programs.

Launched by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and local community partners in May 2009, the Network helps its members develop and implement those programs, learn of funding and other resources, and interact more productively with other local and state programs in Colorado. The Network also advocates for state actions according to a CCN policy agenda, and tracks state actions on emission reductions and preparedness for Network members.

For more information about the Colorado Climate Network,click on the About link on the navigation bar on the top of this page.

For more information about the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, go to the RMCO website.